Chico’s Stephen Allard Holds off Tim Kaeding for Win

By: Troy Hennig

(Chico, CA 6-29-07)…Chico’s Stephen Allard has had his ups and downs this year racing in Northern California.  Tonight was no exception.  After finishing third in the second heat race the team decided to switch motors before the main event.  It turned out to be the correct decision.  Allard led all 25-laps to record his second feature win of the season at Silver Dollar Speedway.  Yet, it wasn’t as easy as it might sound.  Allard held off returning local hero Tim Kaeding to get the exciting win.  In fact, with two lap’s remaining a single file restart featured Kaeding right on Allard’s bumper.  “I knew Tim was coming and under the yellow I looked up at the scoreboard and saw he was in second,” said Allard.  “I just told myself don’t over drive the car and hit my marks and I felt we’d be fine for the final two laps.”  Allard did just that and never gave Kaeding a chance to pull something out of his hat, as he has done so many times in the past.  Allard drove the Skip Jones owned #1m into victory lane.  Kaeding is back at the helm of the Tom Rolfe Trucking #10 for at least until Gold Cup in September.  A total of 24 drivers competed during the Feather Falls Casino Friday night championship point race.  Three other divisions took to the speedway tonight along with the sprint cars.  Wingless sprints, dirt modifieds and pure stocks all took turns at the speedway.  In all, 82 different drivers raced around the beautifully prepared quarter-mile clay oval speedway.  All of this action took place in one night of racing and finished fifteen minutes ahead of the state mandated 11:00 pm curfew.

            The original start pitted Allard on the front row with Auburn’s Andy Forsberg.  As the two raced into turn one Forsberg set the car and the right rear dug into the clay.  This catapulted Forsberg into the air and upside down.  Major frame damage was sustained and he was finished for the night.  Word is, the #92 machine will miss the next few Friday nights at Chico after this recent crash.  On the second attempt things went much smoother.  Allard took the lead from Colby Weisz who moved into the spot Forsberg vacated.  Sean Becker raced into the third spot followed by Greg DeCaires in fourth.  On lap four Chris Masters spun around and brought out the yellow.  The next few laps brought great side-by-side racing and plenty of passing throughout the field.  Kaeding began to move towards the front after starting in the fifth spot.  On lap eleven he passed DeCaires for third.  While the close racing was happening, Becker looped it in turn four but kept going only to spin out in turn one.  The second spin was enough to bring out the yellow. 

Two laps later, Johnny gray came to a stop and brought out another yellow.  Under the yellow, Jonathan Allard exited to the pit area with motor problems.  Allard’s car had smoke coming out of the side of the motor during the previous few laps and ultimately something in the motor is what sidelined him from continuing on.  However, up front older brother Stephen was making the Allard family proud and continued to lead the race. 

The race resumed with Allard pulling away from the rest of the field.  In sprint car racing it’s the slower car’s that help bring the excitement level up a few notches.  Allard was closing in on slower traffic on lap 19.  This is when the lead started to shrink.  On lap 20 Kaeding passed Weisz for the second spot.  Kaeding continued to close on Allard as the two battled with slower traffic.  On lap 23 Brett Miller stopped on the backstretch to bring out the yellow.  The final two laps were about to unfold.  Up to that moment, the transponders had Kaeding slightly faster than Allard.  Yet, with a clear track ahead of him Stephen pulled away and comfortably won the race.  Kaeding crossed the line in second.  Weisz finished a solid third.  DeCaires crossed the line in fourth; notching him and the team their second top five in as many weeks at the speedway.  Trevor Green finally earned a top five.  Green has battled gremlins all season since racing at Chico but tonight he looked as good as he had all year.  It was nice to see the Australia native do well. 

Andy Gregg dominated the 12-lap B main event.  Green ran second and Jason Botsford was third.  Robert Stice and Jim Richardson rounded out the top five and transferred to the main event. 

Jeremy Phillips led all eight laps to win the first heat race.  Kaeding started fifth in heat race number two and on the last lap passed Brett Miller to get the win.  Zack Mason won his third heat race in as many weeks at the speedway.  Mason and crew continue to improve as the team is starting to gel.

Jonathan Allard starting things off by turning the fastest lap in qualifying at an 11.777.  He was the only driver to reach into the 11-second bracket.

We are racing on July 4^th, Wednesday night, with another point’s race and fire works to celebrate America’s Independence.

END

Results (Full available at www.johnpadjenmotorsports.com)

Fast Time: Jonathan Allard – 11.777

Heat 1: Jeremy Phillips, Jon Allard, Robbie Whitchurch, Mason Moore, Sean Becker

Heat 2: Tim Kaeding, Brett Miller, Stephen Allard, Greg DeCaires, Korey Lovell

Heat 3: Zack Mason, Johnny Gray, Andy Forsberg, Colby Weisz, Chris Masters

B Main: Andy Gregg, Trevor Green, Jason Botsford, Robert Stice, Jim Richardson, Zack West, Jeff Griffin, Bill Bates, Gary Paulson

A Main: S. Allard, Kaeding, Weisz, DeCaires, Green, Lovell, Whitchurch, Gregg, Moore, Becker, Stice, Mason, Gray

END

Wingless Sprints, Dirt Modifieds and Pure Stocks race recaps

By: Troy Hennig

Full results at www.johnpadjenmotorsports.com

After 23 Years Sparky Howard gets His First Win

It was a long time coming for Santa Rosa driver Sparky Howard, but nobody realized just how long it did this veteran driver to get his first win. After spending most of his life racing winged sprint cars at Chico, the past two seasons Howard has taken off the wing and raced in the popular wingless spec sprint car division. Tonight, Howard led all 20 laps to win his first career main event at Silver Dollar Speedway. It took him 23 years of racing to finally accomplish this life long dream of standing in victory lane. "It took me 23-years of racing to finally get my first win tonight at Chico," said Howard. "I've had a few quick times and heat wins but never won. I just hope it's not another 23 years until I can do it again in fact, next week sounds good to me." The wingless division should be applauded tonight. All 20 laps went non-stop. A total of 25 drivers turned out for the nights racing action.

Howard led from the start. Fellow front row starter Jake Serven fell into the fourth spot while Reyna Krueger and Brandon Davis raced into second and third. Howard pulled out to a decent lead that was short lived once he caught up to the rear of the field. With the race going non-stop Howard and others never had a clear track ahead of them. This is where Davis caught Howard and soon the top two were nose to tail on the speedway. Davis at times moved to the inside of Howard but could never pull along side and make the pass. With just a few laps to go Howard passed a slower car that Davis was unable to pass. This left Howard with enough cushion to lead the final few laps with ease. While Howard went on for the win, Cody Myers passed Davis at the stripe. Myers finished a career best second. The hard charger of the night was Darrell Hanestad. He originally was going to start in the sixth row but had to be push started, thus, he was penalized and sent to the rear. He passed sixteen cars on his way to a fourth place finish. Don Emery drove a solid race to finish in the fifth spot.

Lucas Nerlove put on quite a show for the fans in heat one. He held off Cody Myers and Reyna Krueger to get the exciting win. Hanestad cruised to an easy win in heat two. One of the storylines involved third place point driver Matt Streeter. Streeter was unable to finish the race and didn't report for the B main event. He came into the night third in points; just five behind Brandon Davis but after tonight will fall back. Jimmy Pettit won the third heat race with a commanding lead at the finish line.

Taylor Simas won the shortened B main event. The race was scheduled for eight laps but checkered after the top two cars crashed. Only six cars started the race and transferred five. Tom Arbogast finished in the second spot.

Papenhausen Wins Sideways Finish with Abouzeid

You just had to be there. There is no other way to describe what happened on the last lap, last turn of the dirt-modified feature Friday night at Chico. Mark Abouzeid had led the first 19 and a half lap's when the drama and excitement happened. Going into turn three Abouzeid went to the bottom of the racetrack while arch nemesis Richard Papenhausen went to the top. By doing so the two avoiding a lapped car that had spun in turn four. Each driver had to avoid the wreck and then race down the front straight for the win. As the two came out of turn four they drifted into each other. Neither driver lifted and as the two came together the forces of nature began to spin their cars, locking them together. As the two started spinning Papenhausen, by virtue of being on the outside spun towards the infield. Abouzeid on the bottom also spun towards the infield. By doing so, Papenhausen became the leader of the race and won as he slid sideways across the finish line. Abouzeid was locked to his inside and crossed in second, also sideways. It was, perhaps, the greatest dirt modified finish in the history of the sport. Mike Sohnrey finished in the third spot. Jeff Chew crossed the line in fourth. Darin Ruley rounded out the top five.

Mike Sohnrey was a race casualty on lap eleven when he banged wheels with leader Abouzeid. Debris was thrown from both cars and the caution was waived. Sohnrey exited to the pit area and relinquished the second spot. However, Sohnrey returned from the pits as a man on a mission. Sohnrey moved back through the field and finished third. Not a bad night of work for the farmer from Durham.

Car 177, driver Steve Boucher should get credit for his run from 17^th starting spot and into the sixth finishing position.

The biggest car count of the season produced 20 dirt modifieds.

Abouzeid, Chris Compton and Papenhausen were all victorious in heat race action.

The dirt modifieds return to racing action on July 4^th.

The Bartlett's Reign Over Chico

It turned out to be a family affair Friday night during the pure stock races. Jerry Bartlett won the 15-lap pure stock main event edging out Craig Eubanks and his daughter Heather. Jerry made his rare appearance special. "This is Heather's track and I don't want to interfere with what we are going for this season," said Jerry in victory lane. "It's just fun to get to race with her." Eubanks started in the 10^th spot and finished a respectable second. Only two accidents slowed the event. The first took place on lap six when three cars spun in turn three. The drivers involved were Jess Garland, Wes Dinsmore and Mike Slightom. Two laps later Joe Longmire and Dinsmore ran into each other for the next caution. Up front Bartlett never lost the lead. He beat fellow front row starter Jay Galvin into turn one and never looked back. Point leader Jeff Olschowka had a flat tire on lap six. Under the yellow he went to the pits, replaced the tire and continued on. He finished in the fifth spot. Fourth place went to Paul Stephens.

Olschowka led all eight laps to win the first heat. Heather got the best of dad in heat race two for the popular win.

Pure stocks take July 4^th off and return back to the speedway on July 6^th.

Congrats to Stephen on the win.

great news!!!! keep up the good work Stephen!!!!

(LOSER)

it was really cool to watch tk race again, congrats to stephen!